Roll for troops



(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. O. BLATTNER. Roll for Troops. No. 234,225. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

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O. BLATTNER. Roll for Troops. No. 234,225. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

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. l the same general method of keeping a perma- UNITED STATES PATENT FFIC CONRAD BLATTNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROLL FOR TROOPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,225, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed March 18, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CONRAD BLATTNER, of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Permanent Roll for Troops; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a face view of the device with parts of the case broken away. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through line a: .70 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail, showing one of the side shafts with its belt-rollers and means for adjusting tension of belts. Fig. 4 is a detail of the nametablet attached to belt. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a face and edge view of the workin g parts removed from the case.

My invention relates to an improved permanent roll for a detachment of troops, the members of a police force, or other organized body, designed to indicate at a glance the absence, presence, physicalcondition, character of duty engaged in, 860., of each and every member of said body.

In my prior patent, No. 152,591, 1 provided a permanent roll for accomplishing this result, in which a vertical series of bars forming a rack divided off the chart into vertical columns whose captions indicated the presence, absence, character of duty, or condition of the members, while the names and rank of the members of the body were placed in vertical series at the side of the chart, and from which names channels extended horizontally across the chart, in which channels slips or tablets were placed bearing the names of each member, which tablets could be slid along the horizontal channel to such vertical column as would indicate the condition, presence, or character of duty of the member whose name was on said tablet.

My present invention, while proceeding upon nent roll, consists, chiefly, in providing a series of horizontal endless belts passing over rollers at each side and acting as carriers for shifting the name-tablets; also, in the means for tightening or adjusting the tension of these belts; and also, further, in the peculiar con- (No model.)

struction of the frame or case for holding and locking up the roll, as hereinafter fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the body portion of the frame or case, which is in the nature of a shallow box. havinga cover, 0, equal in size to the size of the case. This cover is hinged at [2-, so that it can be folded back to give access to the devices within, which I will now describe.

E E are two vertical parallel shafts arranged upon opposite sides of the case and fixed in end bars at the top and bottom. (See Figs.5 and 6.) Upon these two shafts E are arranged a series of loose rollers or spools, m, (see Fig. 8,) disconnected from each other, and provided with milled flanges by which they may be turned. These rollers, on one side of the device, are connected with rollers on the other side by a series of horizontal endless belts, n. This system of belts with rollers and shafts are made with their end frames detachable from the case, as shown in Fig. 5, and are provided with a head-block, G, containing the names of the highest officer in rank, the first assistant officer, the second assistant officer, the station, and the year. Over the system of belts as thus described is placed a rack-frame somewhat similar to that describedin my said prior patent, the said rack-frame in the present case, however, being made with rigid marginal bars F F, Fig. 5, and vertical parallel bars a a a, stayed at intervals by cross horizontal bars e. This rack-frame is screwed at its corners to the stationary frame parts of the detachable mechanism shown in Fig. 5, and bears at the top a series of captions or headings over each vertical column between the bars, indicating the presence, absence, physical condition, character of duty, 850., while said rack bears on its broad marginal frame at the left the rank of the several officers and members.

The two top belts are placed in line with the upper bar, F, of the rack, and are provided respectively with the names of the months of the year and the days of the month, which show successively through slots 0 and d in said bar. The belts below the captions are each provided with a name-tablet, 0, (see Figs. 4 and 1,) which tablets bear the name of every member of the organization. Now, when these name-tablets are moved horizontally to the difl'erent vertical columns by turning the belts through the agency of the milled flanges of the rollers, the position in which the name is placed beneath the caption will indicate the characterof work, physical condition, presence or absence of that individual at a glance.

B, Fig. 2, is a table or plate placed between the upper and lower sections of each belt, and extending over the whole surface of the roll. This table forms a backing for the name-tablets to slide on and prevents damage to the belts. As the belts may become released or loose from wear or conditions of the atmosphere, it may be necessary to provide means for increasing their tension, or vice versa. For this purpose the parallel shafts E on opposite sides of the frame rest in slotted hangers k, of which there are three on each side of the case, and these hangers have shanks that are screw threaded and extended laterally through the sides of the case to the exterior, where they are provided with screw-nuts t. By tightening or loosening these nuts the shafts E E are adjusted farther apart or closer together, and the tension of the belts regulated accordingly, the end frames, in which the shafts E rest, being slotted to permit this adjustment.

In making the changes in shifting the nametablets I find it better not to open or turn back the glass door (I, and 1 therefore cut away the frame of this door at its free edge with a rectangular out just above the righthand series of rollers m, and into this I fit a second door, 1), which is hinged upon the opposite side of the case from the door 0, and which folds toward 0 and fills in the rectangular cut in the frame of the latter. The door 0 then is fastened down by suitable catches or looks, while the door D is provided with an independent lock and key by which it is fastened to the frame of C. By this construction it will be seen that when it is required to change the adjustment of the name-tablets it is only necessary to open the small door D.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-- 1. A permanent roll composed of a rack having a series of vertical bars with suitable captions or headings, in combination with a subjacent series of horizontal adjustable belts bearing name-tablets representing the members of the organization, as and. for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with a rack having a series of vertical bars provided with suitable captions or headings, of a set of horizontal endless belts and a series of rollers or wheels on each side for distending them, as shown and described.

3. The combination, in a roll-case, of the rack-frame F, having vertical bars and headings, as described, a series of horizontal endless belts bearing name-tablets, a series of rollers on each side for distending the belts, and an intermediate table or board, B, for the tablets on the top section of each belt to travel upon, as shown and described.

4. In a permanent roll, the combination, with the spacing-rack and the horizontal belt-s carrying name-tablets, of the laterally-adjust able shafts E E, carrying the rollers for the belts, the hangers k, carrying the shafts E, and having screw-threaded ends projecting through the case, with nuts t thereupon for regulating the tension of the belts, as described.

5. The combination, with a permanent roll, as described, of a containing-case, A, the large glass door 0, having its free edge cut away, as described, and the small door D, hinged upon the opposite side from O and locking into the frame of U, substantially as set forth.

CONRAD BLATTNER.

Witnesses:

AnoLF A. BERLE, J NO. A. GERHAENSSER. 

